[Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Liskeard Borough.

  • Liskeard (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1970
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Liskeard Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/40
    Headings (a) to (d) below are in respect of items on which the Department of Health and Social Security specifically requested information: (a) The Borough's mains water, supplied by the East Cornwall Water Board, was entirely satisfactory in quality and quantity as in previous years. (B) Ho form of contamination of water supplies was discovered this year. (c) Public Mains Water Supply was provided direct to 1899 houses, having an approximate population of 4,836 persons. Public Mains Water Supply was provided by stand-pipe to three premises, having a population of six persons. (D) The Fluorine content of the Public Mains Water Supply averages 0.1 P.P.M. which is below the amount considered adequate to maintain Dental Health. (e) There are 9 Private Water Supplies within the Borough, serving 20 Dwellings and 64 persons. Nine samples were taken for bacteriological examinations and were found satisfactory. The standard of untreated water supplies varies with changes in the weather and land usage and such supplies are always regarded as suspect. 2. SEWERAGE AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL: The New Sewerage system has operated successfully, as also the Sewage Disposal Works. In the early part of the year when above average rainfall was experienced the East Looe River became flooded, with the result that the discharge of the final effluent into the river was restricted. This caused backing up and the Humas Tank to become flooded. During these periods of flooding, the time available for final treatment of the effluent, after passing through the filter bed, has been drastically reduced, thereby giving a poor result when samples have been taken for analysis. The surcharge of solids into the Sewage Works, resulting from the cleansing of the Cattle Market, is shown in the higher readings of the analysis when taken at the Treatment Works shortly after Market cleans- -ing operations have taken place. Pre-treatment of the effluent discharged from the Cattle Market should alleviate this problem. Sludge disposal still remains a problem and although agreement has been reached with the Liskeard Rural District Council for the joint provision of a Mechanical Sludge Drying Plant the difficulty in obtain- -ing an allocation of capital for this could result in a delay of several years before the Plant could become operative. In the meantime, it will be necessary to carry on tankering sludge away from the works, the cost of disposal increasing, and the problem of finding satisfactory disposal accommodation becoming more acute.